🌱 County Suspends P-Card Spending + Man With Knife Shot By Police

Hello, neighbors. It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Douglasville Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening locally. Including news about:

• A knife-wielding man was fatally shot by police
• Douglas County is suspending purchasing cards for county employees
• Douglasville singer Megan Daniel makes American Idol top 12

But first, today's weather:

A p.m. t-storm in spots. High: 70 Low: 54.

Shoutout to the awesome local business that keeps this newsletter running:

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Here are the top five stories today in Douglasville:

1. A man was fatally shot by Douglas County deputies after he lunged at a woman with a knife. On Sunday, deputies responded to a domestic dispute in nearby Lithia Springs and upon arrival, saw a woman "covered in blood" attempting to run from a man holding a knife. Deputies gave an order for the man to drop the knife but he refused, instead charging at deputies and the woman. One of the deputies opened fire and killed the man, who has been identified as Robernard Benjamin. The woman was transported to a hospital with "multiple stab wounds." (AOL.com)
2. Douglas County has suspended county employees and commissioners from using purchasing cards for 100 days. The break in spending is to allow the county to conduct an audit to ensure expenditures are appropriate uses of taxpayer money. This decision follows an 11 Alive investigation that revealed a Douglas County firefighter had used a purchase card to buy Valentine's flowers. During the 100-day suspension, the county will be investigating possible fraudulent activity, installing new software, and improving oversight. (11 Alive)
3. Douglasville Parks and Recreation is celebrating National Minority Health Month. This national observance is focused on improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. Douglasville is partnering with Sunflowers in Motion and The National Council of Negro Women Northwest Georgia Section to encourage "better health through better understanding." As part of this initiative, this Saturday, Apr. 29, Douglasville Parks and Recreation is hosting a line dancing class from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Ike Owings Community Center. (City of Douglasville - Government via Facebook)
4. The Douglasville Police Department is seeking vendors and performers for their upcoming Music Festival. This event is set to take place on May 13 from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Douglasville Police Department. They are looking for family-friendly performers who sing, dance, do magic, and more. Interested parties can contact Sgt. Shannon Dean at (678) 293-1621. (Douglasville Police Department via Facebook)
5. A Douglasville singer has made it to the top 12 on "American Idol!" Megan Daniel, a Christian singer and restaurant server, previously appeared on season 18 of "The Voice," where she made it to the top nine contestants before being eliminated. Her recent performance of Lauren Daigle's "Thank God I Do" earned her enough votes to make it to the next round of competition in "American Idol." (WJCL)

Today in Douglasville:

• Wine Down Wednesdays At Allure Lounge (5:00 PM)
• BINGO Night** Campers Have S'more Fun At Painting With A Twist (6:00 PM)
• Guardians At Nichols Center (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• In case you missed it, a freshman at Alexander High School has taken action after watching some of his classmates go hungry at lunchtime. Dominique Green began a fundraising campaign to sponsor breakfast and lunch for 20 of his classmates through the end of the school year. Read more about his story here. (Douglas County Georgia Schools via Facebook)
• Registration is now open for a four-week acting course Loretta Chandler and the Cultural Arts Council. Participants will learn about auditioning, script reading, and more. Visit this link to learn more or sign up. (Cultural Arts Council Douglasville / Douglas County via Facebook)
• The Douglas County Library is celebrating National Library Week with a new sticker mosaic. Similar to a paint-by-number project, each sticker corresponds to a letter on the poster. Patrons can place a sticker or a whole section. (Douglas County Public Library via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• Vendors we need you Eastpoint Wednesday Wind Down in the Point (May 3)
• Clinton Nature Preserve Exploration Challenge Group Hike (May 13)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday! I'll see you soon.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.